Yu Xiaogang Arrives

Back at Shrek, everyone felt as though they had returned from another world. For the first time, they realized how peaceful and serene this little village was.

No Soul Beasts, no forest king Titan Giant Ape, and certainly no unfamiliar Soul Masters fighting over Soul Rings...

"We're finally back! There's nothing better than being home!"

Ma Hongjun shouted dramatically.

Zhao Wuji announced their dismissal and told everyone to return and rest.

Lu Shi and Zhu Zhuqing had originally planned to take a walk outside the village, but Ning Rongrong followed along as well, so the three of them went together.

Ma Hongjun's injuries were not serious. After being cooped up in the Star Dou Forest for days, he had nearly gone mad and immediately ran off to Suotuo City.

Dai Mubai returned to his dormitory to rest. He had taken a punch from the Titan Giant Ape head-on and had not fully recovered yet.

The only unexpected one was Tang San. He did not cling to Xiao Wu as usual.

His face was expressionless.

He actually returned to his dormitory as well.

After everyone dispersed, Zhao Wuji immediately went to find Flender.

He told him everything that had happened in the Star Dou Forest.

When he finished, the two exchanged glances in the room. Both saw the confusion in the other's eyes, yet neither dared to speak.

Why had Tang Hao not appeared?

His son had nearly died. Why had he not saved him?

No matter how powerful the Titan Giant Ape was, it should not have been enough to make a Titled Douluo with the world's number one Tool Martial Soul afraid to even show his face, right?

After a moment of silence, they tacitly began discussing why the Titan Giant Ape had appeared in the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.

They mainly did not dare say too much. What if Tang Hao was nearby, watching them?

"The Titan Giant Ape has never appeared in the outer regions," Zhao Wuji pondered. "But Xiao Wu said that after she was captured, she heard a bull's roar. Then the Titan Giant Ape became very nervous, threw her down, and ran away."

Flender was still shaken by the thought. His best students had nearly been wiped out, and he frowned in confusion.

"What was that bull's roar? What kind of bull could make the Titan Giant Ape afraid?"

"That bull's roar was most likely the Sky Azure Bull Python," a somewhat stiff voice came from outside the door.

Zhao Wuji turned his head.

A voice he had never heard before?

He had sensed someone approaching, but he had assumed it was one of the students.

Flender rose to greet him. "Haha, the person who knows has arrived. Xiaogang, come in quickly."

Zhao Wuji stood and looked over. It was a middle-aged man with a stiff expression, an unkempt beard, and extremely weak Soul Power fluctuations.

Flender introduced him as his old companion from back then, the Horn of Wisdom of the Golden Iron Triangle.

The Martial Soul theory Grandmaster universally acknowledged by the Soul Master world, and Tang San's teacher—

Yu Xiaogang.

Zhao Wuji politely greeted Yu Xiaogang, grumbling inwardly.

This Yu Xiaogang, Tang San's teacher, really did resemble Tang San.

Tang San was level 31, and the Soul Power fluctuations he released were about the same.

Tang San looked to be in his forties, and this man also looked to be in his forties or fifties.

No wonder they were master and disciple.

Yu Xiaogang did not stand on ceremony. He pulled over a wooden chair and sat down. After learning that Tang San was fine, his expression eased somewhat. "There is more than one forest king in the Star Dou Forest. There is another existence even stronger than it, the true strongest being in the Star Dou Forest—

The Sky Azure Bull Python."

He went on to explain how a Titled Douluo had entered the core region of the Star Dou Forest and encountered a Soul Beast with the body of a python and the head of a bull.

He also said that he was one of the few people who knew about it.

Zhao Wuji nodded repeatedly and praised him. As expected of the Grandmaster.

His knowledge of Soul Beasts was almost beyond even Lu Shi's.

Hearing the praise, Yu Xiaogang enjoyed it greatly. A trace of pride appeared on his stiff face.

Over the years, almost no high-level Soul Masters had sincerely called him Grandmaster. They had all said it mockingly.

Some even called him the Fart Soul Master.

Fortunately, Zhao Wuji was merely a brute who knew nothing but fighting and lacked any real knowledge.

"What kind of snake was Xiao San's third Soul Ring obtained from?"

Flender answered, "A colorful Soul Beast that lives in swamps, called the Three-Eyed Witch King Snake."

Yu Xiaogang nodded after hearing that.

Very good. Tang San was steadily growing stronger according to his plan.

Before long, he would amaze everyone at the national Soul Master tournament.

Yu Xiaogang's plan for Tang San involved different types of venomous snakes, or rather, snakes from different environments. They were broadly divided into terrestrial snake Soul Beasts and marine snake Soul Beasts.

What he wanted was mixed venom. If Tang San encountered a Soul Master immune to snake venom, they might be immune to one toxin, but they could not possibly be immune to nine different toxins.

Before his old friend, Flender wanted to show off a little. "We have a food-type student with Innate Full Soul Power. He's fourteen, and he broke through level 30 a few days ago. This hunt was originally for him."

Yu Xiaogang was utterly astonished. "Innate Full Soul Power? A fourteen-year-old level 30 food-type Soul Master?"

There was actually a food-type Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power in this world?

A gleam flashed through his eyes.

It seemed his research could break new ground again.

In any case, the outside world did not yet know such a Soul Master existed. If he published the theory first, then reality would conform to his theory rather than his theory conforming to reality!

His title of Grandmaster would become even more secure.

"If those major sects and factions found out, they'd fight each other bloody to get him."

Flender stroked his thick black goatee and snorted twice. Of course.

"Our academy recruited quite a few monsters this year. Strange enough, such a tiny Notting Academy produced three monsters, including a monster among monsters."

"Three?"

Yu Xiaogang froze. Tang San and Xiao Wu had come here at his instruction. How could there be a third...

Thinking of that name, he could not help frowning. "Lu Shi?"

Flender noticed the change in his old friend's mood and instinctively wanted to slap himself.

Tang Hao was so hostile toward Lu Shi, yet he had just praised him. What if Tang Hao was nearby and heard those words, realizing that he wanted to protect Lu Shi?

Since Tang Hao had come looking for them, he had surely looked for Yu Xiaogang long ago as well. Judging by his attitude, the two of them were clearly both targeting Lu Shi.

"Ahem." Flender cleared his throat. Without changing his expression, he smoothly shifted the topic. "Come to think of it, I've lived for decades, but I've never seen someone like Xiao San, with Innate Full Soul Power and Blue Silver Grass. How did you find him?"

He even put on an envious expression.

Zhao Wuji chimed in from the side. "Yes, I imagine that was the Grandmaster's handiwork as well."

Zhao Wuji was a brute, not an idiot. Earlier, he had called Yu Xiaogang Grandmaster out of politeness and offered a few compliments, only for Yu Xiaogang to put on a disdainful expression.

His attitude toward him could not have been more obvious.

A piece of trash whose Soul Power fluctuations did not even exceed three Soul Rings dared look down on a Soul Saint?!

If this had been anywhere else, Zhao Wuji would have crushed Yu Xiaogang to death long ago.

But he could not do that now. He could not even lose his temper. First, Yu Xiaogang was Flender's old friend. Second, he was Tang San's teacher, and Tang Hao stood behind him.

He could only swallow it.

Noticing that Flender had said the wrong thing, he could only grit his teeth and go along with it.

To shift the topic.

"Hehe." Yu Xiaogang did not notice the change in their attitudes at all. He thought they truly admired him, so he laughed smugly and leaned back in his chair. "Of course. Who else could he be the disciple of?"

"When I first met Xiao San, he was just an ordinary work-study student at Notting Academy. It was I..."

Yu Xiaogang then described how he had guided Tang San in cultivation, helped him grow stronger, planned out his Soul Rings, and so on.

While things here remained outwardly cordial, Tang San, alone in his dormitory on the other side,

Had fallen into deep doubt.

"..."

Should I believe Teacher?

He slumped on the bed, expressionless, hunched over, his arms hanging limply at his sides.

Teacher was a Martial Soul theory Grandmaster. He could not be wrong...

I can't doubt Teacher...

Then why had I become like this?

Why...